The Price of Loyalty
by Reveraine
Summary: Rodolphus Lestrange knew how his life was going to turn out; he was going to follow in his Father's footsteps, marry a pureblooded witch from a respectable family, and continue his family line. What he did not know was how none of those expectations were going to turn out quite like he planned them.
1. Small Seeds

**Chapter 1 - Small Seeds**

* * *

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was quite cold this time of year. The school's location to the far north made certain that its students were wrapped in their winter cloaks and scarves as early as October. The hustle and bustle of the third week in the term had ended and now the anticipation was building for the very first Hogsmeade trip of the year. The clouds overhead seemed to share in the excitement, practically screaming at the children below that they planned on snowing all over their outing that day.

Rodolphus Lestrange glanced up at the sky and frowned slightly, he did not dislike snow, but it was far too early in the season for the white flakes to start falling with the amount of force the sky was threatening them with today. It was too cold on top of it all; it was already looking to be a cold winter and that was something the young man was not looking forward to. It made him grateful that he had chosen to not indulge in Quidditch when the Slytherin Captain had approached him in his fourth year. Flying was uncomfortable enough, he was not going to purposefully go out in the stormy weather and freeze to death trying to win a bloody game. No, there were other things he was interested in, and so many other things he would choose to do _before_ Quidditch that it had been a struggle not to laugh at the offer.

The teenager glanced around at the crowd of fellow students, not even bothering to glare at the over-zealous third years who bumped into him on their way to turn in their permission forms. They scattered out of his way once they realized who he was, at any rate. Rodolphus was in his fifth year at the prestigious school, and was not well known in truth by many students, but he certainly intimidated many. He blamed it partially on his little brother. Rabastan was in his third year and Rodolphus knew that he looked up to him, despite their closeness in age. Rabastan like to talk; he was much more social than Rodolphus and the older boy would not have been surprised to hear his brother telling stories about him.

As he continued to survey the crowd, Rodolphus frowned slightly; he did not see his brother, or the witch he had been looking for. He wondered if they had slipped past him while he had been distracted by a pair of confused Slytherins that looked like they were his brother's age. The Carrow twins, he thought they were. Not that it mattered a whole lot.

"Looking for Bella, Dolph?" A familiar voice sounded from behind him.

Rodolphus turned around to face his friend. Antonin Dolohov was in his sixth year at Hogwarts and had become fairly good friends with him throughout their years at Hogwarts.

The wizard snorted, "No. You know as well as I do that she's as crazy as her Aunt Walburga."

Antonin laughed, "Well, she's looking for you."

Rodolphus grimaced and without looking to see if the other wizard was following, he immediately set off with the crowd for Hogsmeade. He could hear Antonin laughing behind him and rolled his eyes. He walked quickly, not wanting to run into the eldest Black sister today. Of all the people he would like to avoid, she was close to the top of the list. In fact, most days, she _was_ the list. If playing Quidditch could keep him away from her forever, he might consider it. They did not often have run-ins in their daily life, but ever since the Black family had come over for a small dinner party earlier that summer, Bella seemed to appear much more often than he was comfortable with. He knew what she was doing; his father wanted him to marry one of the three Black sisters, and Cygnus Black seemed to be partial to the idea as well. Rodolphus just didn't want it to be Bellatrix.

"Who _were_ you looking for?" Antonin asked him quietly once they had reached the village.

"I—" Rodolphus cut off when he saw her, her black hair swinging with her steps as she walked casually up to the Three Broomsticks with a pack of their housemates. One of the girls must have seen him watching, because the black haired witch turned to look at him, donning a sweet smile before turning back toward the pub. Her friends were giggling.

Rodolphus had the grace to blush slightly at the interaction.

Antonin stared at him in amusement, running a hand through his own dark hair. "You just don't want Bella to find you ogling her little sister." The other wizard glanced at the door to the pub and grinned, "You certainly got her attention, Lestrange."

Rodolphus frowned, "Father says I have to marry one of them. I am _not_ going to marry Bellatrix." The teenager shuddered at the prospect. He would not marry the witch, no matter what his father said; not as long as her sister was around. Everyone knew about Bellatrix's reputation for being more than a little unhinged, even as a child. Andromeda Black, on the other hand, was very different from her sister. They looked nearly identical, but the middle Black girl had an energy about her that was cheerful and full of life. She seemed to get so much out of every piece of life; and she had seemed to enjoy his company when they had spent some time together in his parent's manor. Bellatrix Black did not seem to enjoy things as much as she merely obsessed over them. Not at all the kind of woman he had imagined himself marrying; not that the fifteen year old had done very much of that in his lifetime. He didn't think it had even crossed his mind until his Father had brought it up after the Black's visit earlier in the year.

Antonin grinned suddenly, "What about Narcissa?"

Rodolphus looked aghast. "She's _nine_ , Antonin! Nine!"

The older wizard merely laughed and clapped him on the shoulder.

Rodolphus glowered slightly at his friend, normally, the other teenager was quiet. He never seemed to say anything unless he thought it was necessary. He held a quiet confidence that hinted on being dangerous; a quality that Rodolphus strived to acquire as well. It seemed to come naturally to the older boy. Rodolphus himself was quiet, but struggled to form a real presence in a crowd. Of course, it may have had nothing to do with personality and everything to do with the fact that his friend was a Prefect. Of all the Prefects currently at Hogwarts, Antonin Dolohov was not one that anyone wanted to run into after-hours.

Antonin began to walk toward the inviting door of the Three Broomsticks. When Rodolphus did not immediately follow him, he turned around, his dark eyes gleaming. "You aren't going to get anywhere out here, _durak_."

Quietly following Antonin, Rodolphus was suddenly too nervous to berate his friend for his use of insults in his native tongue. He had never had an issue with girls before, but the sudden prospect of going up to a gaggle of Slytherin girls was daunting.

The sound in Three Broomsticks was almost deafening. Students crowded in behind them, all seeking warmth and shelter from the long, cold walk from Hogwarts. He continued to follow Antonin to a table, not wanting to argue with the older boy's determined face. His jaw tightened and he glared at his friend when he realized they were sitting directly across from Andromeda and her friends. He glanced over at her and froze when he found her looking back at him. At a loss for what to do, he sent her a small smile before a sharp pain struck his shin. He bit back a yelp and glared at Antonin from across the table.

"You're acting like a bloody Gryffindor, Dolph. _Merlin._ Stop Staring."

Rodolphus frowned, he knew Antonin was right. He was better than the ways of the other students. He was a pure-blooded Lestrange; he _knew_ his manners, and was going to use them, by Morganna. He was not going to lose his head over a thirteen year old girl. Well, he might, but he was not going to let anyone see it. He tried not to think of her as the barmaid arrived with the drinks he assumed Antonin had ordered while he was distracted. Hot butterbeer was always welcome at this time of year, and both boys enjoyed theirs thoroughly.

For some reason, Rodolphus could not get the bright, black-haired witch out of his head; even after he refused to glance her way. The giggles coming from the table the girls had sat down at were enough to keep his eyes firmly fixed on his drink.

* * *

The two young wizards had left the pub when Rodolphus heard quick footsteps behind him. He turned to see Andromeda Black running up to them. Her bright brown eyes shone up at him and she smiled. He wondered why she wasn't still surrounded by a gaggle of Slytherin girls, but the thought did not last long.

"Are you going back to the castle? I have an essay to write and I don't want to walk back by myself." Her big eyes were captivating to the boy, and he could only stare at her.

Antonin chuckled under his breath and said, "I have some purchases to make at Scrivenshifts, but I'm sure Rodolphus has some homework to be doing as well."

Rodolphus quirked a small smile as the wizard left the other two Slytherins alone on the street. For the first time that day, the young wizard actually remembered his manners and held his arm out for the witch to take. He felt slightly more at ease when she wrapped her small hand up in his arm without hesitation. The two set off back toward the castle at a leisurely pace.

The witch was quiet for a few minutes as they walked. Rodolphus realized that he ought to start the conversation; she was from a pureblood family and was probably expecting it. He was not certain _what_ exactly he was going to talk to her about. He didn't really know what she liked. He couldn't very well come out and ask her what she liked to do; that would be far too forward of him. He was a Slytherin, damn it, and he was going to act like one. Going with a safe but still inquisitive option, he casually asked her what her essay was about.

"Potions," she replied with a grimace. "My Confusing Draught exploded yesterday and Professor Slughorn is making me write an essay about what went wrong." Her face had a look of fierce determination on it that Rodolphus struggled not to smile at.

"Would you—" Rodolphus took a deep breath, suddenly nervous at his own thoughts. He heard his father's voice in his head, telling him to _compose himself_. "I'm fairly decent at potions. I can help you, if you'd like." He finished, his speech was a bit stiff, but it did not seem to matter to the witch on his arm.

Her eyes brightened as she looked up at him, "I'd like that a lot."

He nodded and gave her a small smile. He looked at her long black hair that trailed down her back and the way the cold put a bright flush on her cheeks. He knew she was young, but she was already so pretty. As he realized he was staring once more, Rodolphus turned his head to concentrate on where he was going and tried to ignore the presence of the girl at his side. They walked in an almost comfortable silence all the way back to Hogwarts.

* * *

That was the beginning of how Rodolphus began to really know Andromeda Black. He helped her figure out what had gone wrong with her potion; she had chopped her sneezewort too finely and instead of giving the mixture a small bubbling effect, the resulting reaction had exploded in an eruption that spewed the hot liquid all over the classroom. He had laughed when she recounted the story to him. She had frowned at him initially, but eventually she was laughing too. He did not see her as often as he wanted to, but he did continue to tutor her on a weekly basis. It was always a nice reprieve from the time he was forced to spend with her sister.

Bellatrix Black was also fifteen, which meant they were in _all_ of the same classes. He probably spent a good four hours every day in the same room as the eldest Black sister. He managed to avoid her as much as he could. She did not seem _too_ interested in him, but to the eldest Lestrange, even a little interest was too much. He had not really thought about _why_ the girl seemed half-mad, but he knew he did not like it. It was not until one particularly wet day in November that he began to understand what was wrong with her. He had been avoiding being her partner in Charms class and ended up instead partnered with her cousin, Evan Rosier.

"She's got an unfortunate mix of blood, that one." Evan had said to him quietly during class. "She's always been like that...Even when we were little. I think her mother spoils her." The other boy shrugged, but then laughed, "She's bloody good with a wand, though." The boy dropped his voice further, "You should have seen her hex Mulciber the other day! I wouldn't want to be on her bad side."

Rodolphus had glanced over at blonde Slytherin Evan had mentioned. Octans Mulciber had what looked like the remnants of red scratches across his face and was glowering across the room at the crazed Black girl.

He watched as Octans leaned over to his partner Marcus Avery and a dark grin enveloped their faces. "I don't think you need to worry about Mulciber," he chuckled darkly. He was certain Bellatrix was going to have something coming to her in the next few days, and the only reason he may have cared was if her younger sister found out that he had known about it.

* * *

She had. Rodolphus had no idea _how_ Andromeda had found out he was even vaguely aware of Mulciber's revenge hexing of her sister, but she had. She may have weaseled it out of Rosier, which was likely. Andromeda was very demanding when she put her mind to something. He did not care either way himself; in his opinion, if you weren't able to handle yourself in a battle, you shouldn't _start_ one. It was true that they were at school, and dueling was off limits, but he still held that belief. It was something his father taught him from a young age: _If you can't win a fight, Rodolphus, don't start it._ The teenager tried to remember when he had first heard his father utter those words; he hadn't been very old. He recalled his father holding a cup of Firewhiskey in his hand; something he only did when he had been fighting with Rodolphus' mother. He must have lost that fight, whatever it was about.

The fifteen year old turned back to the girl who still bore a heavy frown. He knew this was a fight he couldn't win. "Yes. I didn't know _what_ he was going to do, but I did not _stop_ him, Andy."

"You knew he was going to hurt her?" she demanded, rising from her seat to meet his eyes. She was barely taller than the top of his head when she stood, trying to tower over him.

"I suspected something." He shot back quietly, "Your sister can handle herself. Did you see what she did to him?"

She sunk back into her chair and drooped at his words. He did not think he had been harsh, but suddenly the girl looked tired.

He looked up from his book questioningly.

"She shouldn't be here—" The black-haired girl whispered; her voice was so quiet he thought he had imagined her words. "It's just making her worse."

"You'd best be careful, Andy," he said, not bothering to keep a vague threat out of his tone. The words his friend was uttering were dangerous in the wizarding world. What she said may have been true; he did not know either of them well enough to say either way. He had no reason to doubt the girl in front of him, but if Andromeda revealed that her parents sent Bellatrix to Hogwarts knowing she was unstable, which was something he had suspected for a while, the whole family would be denounced.

She looked at him with wild, fiery brown eyes, but they softened once more with his next words.

"I won't tell, Andromeda, but you can't trust that others won't," he cautioned. He knew his housemates, and he knew himself. The only reason he hadn't said something before was the girl sitting across the table from him. Revealing Bellatrix's apparent madness would only hurt her sisters; Rodolphus was not going to be responsible for that. Everyone saw it, but no one was going to say anything. There was too much at stake, whether right or wrong.

* * *

 **A/N:** Here it is! I was originally going to only write little snippets, but this story has taken on a life of its own. It was originally intended as a little Rodolphus backstory to explain some of his actions in Instincts, but I may take it further than that. I've kind of fallen in love with it a little bit.  
Also, if you haven't already noticed, this story is _sad_. I mean it. I was writing some of the chapters further in and I was crying just trying to put them together. If you want fluff, this is not the place for it. Go read Instincts, there's way more fluff in that than I intended ;)

Enjoy!


	2. Growing Uncertainty

**Chapter 2 - Growing Uncertainty**

* * *

Andromeda may not have been apparently fond of her eldest sister, from what Rodolphus could see, but she was fiercely protective of her. Though most would not mistake Bellatrix for being in need of any aid, Andromeda knew her sister would get into things that she could not always get out of. Now that they were in school, Avery and Mulciber got Bellatrix out of trouble as quickly as they had gotten her into it. Rodolphus did not mind the two boys, but he avoided them if Bella was around. Andromeda's sentiment was something he understood quite well. Rabastan was a year younger than Andromeda, and he was often in trouble, though it had never been any fault of his own. He had tried to keep his little brother out of any trouble, but it always seemed to find him. He was small, and easy for the other students to pick on, especially after their mother's death.

Rodolphus' hands shook slightly at the sudden flood of memories. She was gone, and there was nothing he could do about it. It had been barely over a year since it happened. Rodolphus had been pulled out of school early after his mother's illness had taken a turn for the worse. Revena Lestrange had contracted a severe case of Dragon Pox earlier that year and had struggled with the disease for months. She had not been a strong woman, though she fought tooth and nail against the disease, and then held on just long enough to say goodbye to her sons before she died. That memory still haunted the boy; his mother had pale and covered with sickly green and red splotches...She had hardly looked real….And his father…

Falorian Lestrange was devastated when his wife died. Rodolphus had barely seen his father for days afterward; and he watched as he picked at his meals more than Rabastan. Rodolphus had feared that he was going to have to take care of himself and his brother if it continued. He was young, but he was observant; he knew that his father had been drinking more since Revena had died, and both boys had been upset about their father's behavior. As soon as their mother died, they had lost two parents. Until one day, their grandfather came by and spoke to their father in his study. After that day, Falorian had paid twice as much attention to his sons as he had before Revena had contracted the fatal illness. Whatever his grandfather had said had snapped his father out of whatever he had been stuck in. Rodolphus often found himself wondering what the old man had said, but he knew he would never find out.

The worst part of the entire affair was when the two boys returned to Hogwarts in the fall. Rabastan had just started his first year, and it was a year to remember. The poor boy was safe in his own house, for the most part, but Rodolphus knew the rumors. He heard them in whispered hushes along the corridors whenever he passed by, and he knew Rabastan had heard them as well. He had even been approached by Slughorn, who was the Head of Slytherin house, about how unfortunate his mother's death had been, and had even dared to insinuate that they only needed to ask if they required _anything_. Rodolphus knew what everyone thought, though he knew differently. Falorian was a dark wizard, as their family had been for generations, and would always be as long as the line continued. Half the school was convinced that his father had murdered his mother as soon as both boys were old enough to be in school. Rodolphus knew better; his parents had loved each other. He held onto the belief throughout his school years, and had been an adult before he truly realized how heartbroken his father had been without his mother. Rabastan was not as convinced though. Hearing rumors as a hurt eleven year old boy that his father had murdered his mother had shaken his trust in his family.

Rodolphus still had a list in his head of the worst offenders. No one had outright come up to Rabastan and pushed at him about it, but Rodolphus knew it was because they were afraid of him. Some of the older students had approached him about it, but he merely responded with a sneer, not bothering to start a fight with three or four seventh years, even if they were stupid enough to believe everything they heard. He continued to keep an eye on his brother and he seemed to be doing alright his first year; he did not talk as much as he was used to, but he made a few friends. Lucius Malfoy and Kepler Wilkes were the boys he most often saw with his brother. Wilkes made enough jokes that Rodolphus would occasionally find himself grinning at them, and he knew that Rabastan did from time to time as well. He was glad to see his brother smile after all the had happened to him. Rabastan had to grow some tough skin very quickly.

It was nearly Christmas break, Rodolphus had thought a year and a half would be enough time for everyone to settle down about his parents and leave him and his brother alone. He was wrong.

* * *

Rodolphus had been keeping Antonin company on his Prefect rounds, as he often did, and the two had rounded a corner to find that four older students had cornered his little brother. The boy had tears in his eyes and Rodolphus noted that his brother's wand was halfway across the hall. He set his jaw and attacked, not caring that it was in full view of a school Prefect. He was not surprised, however, when Antonin shot off a few curses himself. He did not bother to check himself; he did not hold back. His father had taught him more than a few spells that were, strictly speaking, off-limits; but Rodolphus had no qualms about using them to defend his twelve-year-old brother.

To say the older students were surprised would be an understatement. Rodolphus snorted at their pitiful attempts to fight him off, but once Antonin had joined in they were done for. All four were on the ground, none looked to be too injured, but they were certainly out of commission.

"You won't get away with this Lestrange. You and your murderer of a father will pay for everything you've done."

Rodolphus sneered, "I'll brush up on my first-year jinxes." Leaning over the older boy, Rodolphus lowered his voice, "You and your half-blood friends leave my brother alone. Next time, I might _actually_ add murder to the list of things I've done this year." He knew the boy would not remember what he had said once they were finished with him, but perhaps the fear would stick. Rodolphus stunned the older boy before he could be any more trouble.

"Damn it." He heard Antonin say as the other teenager leaned over and inspected inspected one of their classmate's limp forms. "Still leaves a mark."

Rodolphus had seen his friend shoot off an unfamiliar purple spell at one of them. He did not have a lot of time or attention devoted to what the other student was doing, but it had knocked the older boy straight to the ground. He turned to his brother, ignoring the now unconscious students. Rabastan looked up at him with tears in his eyes.

"Dolph. Father _didn't_ kill Mother." The boy's voice shook with uncertainty, "Did he?"

Rodolphus clenched his fists, he hadn't realized how much his brother was still affected by it. He glanced down at the students who had been bullying his brother. They were lucky they had been at school; Rodolphus was not certain he would not have killed them had they attacked Rabastan anywhere else. He had promised his mother that he would take care of him. He _promised_ her.

"Who's been telling you that, Rab?" He said, trying to keep his voice level.

"E— Everyone."

" _Everyone?"_ Rodolphus repeated.

The boy frowned. Trying to think about what exactly he had said. "Not everyone—"

Rodolphus nodded at his younger brother. "Does _everyone_ know Father?"

"No." Rabastan said, suddenly more confident. "I— I do."

The older boy nodded once more. "You were there, Rab. You saw what happened. I don't care what these half-blood bastards told you; you're more right than they'll ever be."

Rabastan nodded, brushing the dark hair out of his face and shrugging off his tears like they had never been.

Rodolphus turned to glance at Antonin before looking back at his brother, "How's your confundus charm?" He summoned his brother's wand and handed it to him.

His brother grinned, his blue eyes bright. The three teenagers knew they could not leave any witnesses, at least none that remembered exactly what happened. This way, Antonin could say he stumbled on them like they were during his patrol and no one would be the wiser. Rodolphus knew he and Rabastan had to be gone before them. After being certain the four older boys were thoroughly confuddled, the two Lestrange brothers skittered off to their own common room as quickly as they could.

"Did you see his face, Dolph?" Rabastan exclaimed as quietly as his twelve-year-old body would allow, which was not very quietly. "He's going to have pox marks for a week!"

Rodolphus laughed quietly in response. That brat got what he deserved; he may not have been wrong about everything he had said, but it was more about the principal of the matter at hand. Falorian had _certainly_ killed people; Rodolphus knew that, and he would not have been surprised if Rabastan knew it too. What had been important about the event was that their father had not murdered their mother, and that his brother knew that above anything else.

* * *

" _There_ you are!"

Rodolphus could not help but smile at Andromeda's voice, as annoyed as he knew she was. He glanced up at her from his book, wondering what had set her off. She was not frowning as he expected, but instead seemed to holding back a smile. Her black hair was done up, with a few strands framing her face.

"I've been here all day, Andy."

The girl frowned at him, "Well, no one seemed to actually _know_ that."

"Perhaps they ought to come to the library more often. Some could certainly use it."

She laughed at that. Rodolphus grinned and set his book down.

"Why were you looking for me anyway?"

He thought he saw a blush creeping up on her cheeks at his question.

"We're leaving today. It's Cissy's birthday tomorrow..." she trailed off before hurriedly spouting out "I just wanted to say goodbye. And— Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas," he managed to reply, slightly stunned that she had been looking for him only to make certain that she had bid him farewell. He would see her in just a few weeks, and technically he was only her tutor. They may have been friends, but he did not think she thought so much of him. It gave him a small measure of hope. As the semester had gone on he had learned more about her personality than he thought he would; now he only wished he knew more about what she actually enjoyed. He seemed to know everything about her classes, and nothing about _her_.

"Dromeda!" Bellatrix's voice brought Rodolphus out of his thoughts.

He brought his gaze up to Andromeda's older sister; they looked so very similar. Bella's hair was curly and wild, a contrast to Andy's straight hair, but aside from that and the obvious age difference, the two were nearly identical. They were both smiling at him, and for once, Bella's smile didn't give him pause. She looked legitimately happy; which was not an emotion he saw on her face often. He suddenly wondered why that was; Andy did not seem to have a problem with finding her own happiness, so why was she so different from her sister? There was something wrong with Bellatrix, but maybe it wasn't her fault. Maybe she wasn't always so mean. Perhaps he ought to stop avoiding her, she was Andromeda's sister after all, he should probably know her a bit.

"I'm ready, Bella!" Andy smiled back at her sister, though perhaps not quite as widely.

"Father's meeting us at the entrance soon, is your trunk ready?" the older witch asked, a knowing smirk on her face.

Rodolphus laughed as the girl frowned slightly, she seemed to be going over everything in her head one at a time. She looked at her sister, "I packed everything, Bella."

"Did you double-check?"

"No— but—" she started to argue, but stopped when her sister spoke.

"Father will not be happy if you've forgotten something."

Andromeda sighed and turned back to Rodolphus. "Thank you for helping me with potions."

He nodded, a smile on his face. The girl grinned and turned around, as she walked away she glanced over her shoulder at him.

"Happy Christmas!"

His smile brightened as she left; she really did seem to care. His eyes laid on her sister once more, who was still smiling at him, though her smile was softer now that her sister had gone.

"Thank you for helping her so much, Father does not like it when Andromeda is upset." she said, stepping closer to him.

He nodded, "Of course, Bella. Potions doesn't come so easily to everyone." Rodolphus was not sure what to do. He had not really spent a lot of time with Bellatrix, and she seemed to be acting almost _normal_. In fact, she may have been more like her younger sister than he had originally thought.

It took him a moment to realize she was holding something out to him. "Happy Christmas, Rodolphus."

Slightly stunned, he took the brightly wrapped package from her. "Thank you, Bellatrix."

Rodolphus smiled at her as best he could and she quickly followed her sister out of the library. The teenager frowned at the package she had given him. He had certainly not expected this at all. Confused, the boy quietly put away his library book and headed back toward the common room.

"Who's that from, Dolph?" Antonin Dolohov's voice came up from behind him as he neared the Slytherin common room.

Rodolphus stopped, he turned and stared at the package again, not bothering to look up at his friend.

"Bella," he said quietly, still unsure about the whole thing. He continued to frown at the small package, his brow furrowed in confusion. He had never thought something as simple as a Christmas gift would make him suddenly feel so conflicted. Maybe he had misjudged her. Turning the package over several times, his thoughts wandered back to Andromeda. He could not help but smile at the thought of the younger witch; he may not know Bellatrix as well as he thought, but he _did_ know that he preferred her sister's company.

"What?" he glanced at Antonin when he realized the older teen was staring at him.

He raised his eyebrows, "You were grinning."

Rodolphus cleared his throat. "I was thinking about Andy…" he admitted quietly, trying to keep from appearing too sheepish.

Antonin grinned, "Of course you were. Come on, Lestrange, I think dinner's served."

Rodolphus hurried into the dungeon to drop off the present Bellatrix had given him, he really did not want to answer more questions about it, and followed Antonin down to the Great Hall for dinner.

* * *

 **A/N:** Some sad, and some very confused teenage Rodolphus. I'm going to aim for updating this story every other week, but as school sets in, those will probably get further apart. I wish I could keep up with everything, but unfortunately, homework takes precedence. ;)

Stay tuned! I'll have the next chapter of Instincts up later tonight.


	3. Christmas Charms

**Chapter 3 - Christmas Charms**

* * *

Christmas break was as quiet as it always was at Lestrange Manor. Rodolphus spent much of his time reading; when his father was not giving the two boys his own lessons. There were a certain number of spells, familial and otherwise, that they were certainly not going to learn at Hogwarts.

Rodolphus could hear his brother trying out the new spells on whatever small creatures he could find in the house; probably spiders, from what Rodolphus remembered from his time doing the same thing. Revena had insisted that they were useful and not destructive to her immaculate house when learning new spells, and it had stuck. Especially after one night several years prior, when Rodolphus was frustrated that he was struggling to cast a proper Imperius curse. One of their house elves, Moddy, had volunteered to help and after several tries, the boy had finally succeeded. Being only just over eleven at the time, he did not entirely think through the consequences. He had offhandedly suggested that the elf change the recipe of whatever he was working on for dinner; and was surprised to find that the curse had worked. Of course, by the time he realized it, dinner was already ruined. His mother had never let him forget that night. He wasn't sure who moaned more; himself or poor Moddy. Moddy insisted that it was his fault just as fervently as Rodolphus protested that it wasn't, without admitting himself as the guilty one. Revena had seen right through them both, and as punishment Rodolphus was not allowed to eat anything other than that horrid meal until it was gone. It took him three days to finish it; and he silently bore the punishment after he had realized his mother was not going to move on the subject. The second part of his punishment was being berated by both his parents for cursing the house-elf. He recalled his mother's words clearly.

" _Never attack someone who won't fight back, Rodolphus Falorian._ " _Her hands were on her hips and she suddenly seemed more fearsome than his father, despite being such a small woman._

 _Rodolphus glanced over at his father, who merely had an amused look on his face; he was not going to find any sympathy with him tonight._

 _He flinched when his mother continued, her voice rising slowly, "Rodolphus, you will look at me when I am speaking to you."_

 _The boy managed to look up at his mother, trying to steel himself against her dark eyes. He did not like her when she was so angry. He wanted to hide; he knew he had broken the rules and would rather face the consequences quietly, but Revena would have none of it. He wanted to protest, despite the knowledge that he had disobeyed; he wanted to say he hadn't meant to ruin the evening, but as soon as he opened his mouth, his mother raised her eyebrow sharply._

" _Do you have something to say, Rodolphus?"_

 _He had plenty to say, but he could not remember any of it. Instead he shook his head in shame._

" _Then you may go to your room."_

His mother had only sent him to his room a handful of times. Usually she made him clean up whatever mess he had made immediately, but she had done it in a different way that time. Rodolphus cringed at the memory. It was not how he liked to remember her; he did not like to think that she was ever disappointed in him. It was the second Christmas without her, and Rodolphus felt his eyes tear up. Angrily, he wiped them away; he hated the hole left by his mother's absence.

Trying to cheer himself up, the teenager thought back over the first half of the term at Hogwarts. He had been happier than he had been for any extended length of time since his mother died; and he began to suspect that it had more to do with the presence of a certain dark-haired witch. His emotions still running low from the thoughts of his mother, he once again wiped a set of frustrated tears from his eyes. He slammed his book closed, immediately regretting the action. His mother had taken such good care of the library, he was not going to let that fall into disrepair. Gingerly, he picked up the unoffending tome and placed it carefully on its shelf, taking more care than normal, as though it would help right the wrong he had just done to the object.

* * *

"Rodolphus."

The teenager turned quickly at his father's beckoning and walked into his study. One did not ignore a call from Falorian Lestrange, even if one wanted to; and Rodolphus had no such desires. He knew very well what would happen if he didn't, and he had no reason to ignore him. He loved his father and looked up to him and everything he did.

"Father?"

Falorian looked up from the letter he was penning, meeting his eldest son's eyes. "I have invited Cygnus Black and his family over for supper tonight. Do be on time." The man's green eyes seemed to pierce his own as he added, "And do be dressed properly."

"Yes, Father." Rodolphus turned to leave, knowing he had been dismissed, but he hesitated in the doorway. He turned back toward his father, who was once again writing his letter. He had not looked back up at him, but neither did Rodolphus utter a word; unsure how to say what was on his mind.

"What is it, Rodolphus?" his father asked him after a silent moment that had lasted far too long. He still did not look up.

Rodolphus hesitated. He wanted to tell his father about Andromeda, but he wasn't completely certain about any of it. He had never discussed it with her, and they were friends. Was that enough? He knew he was going to marry one of them, and it might as well be the one he liked.

"Spit it out, boy," Falorian growled, but the smirk on his face contradicted his harsh words.

Rodolphus took a deep breath. He knew better than to waste his father's time. Straight to the point then. He wanted to word it nicely, but at his father's impatient face he merely blurted out, "I don't want to marry Bellatrix."

There. He had said it.

Rodolphus watched with an uncharacteristically quickening heartbeat as Falorian sat back in his chair and scratched his well-kempt beard.

Finally, Falorian sighed. "Rodolphus, she is the eldest of Cygnus' daughters. It is expected that you marry her," he said sternly.

Rodolphus struggled not to bite his lip; he grit his teeth and nodded. "I know, Father," he said tightly. He had not thought it would help his case anyway. Once Falorian had made up his mind, it was almost impossible to change. He turned to leave, but stopped when his father spoke once more.

"Was there someone _else_ you have in mind?"

Rodolphus froze, he could not quite believe that his father was even asking him. He never thought he would get this far in the conversation.

"Well, Dolph?"

"Andromeda." He answered quietly, watching his father's reaction closely.

Falorian once again stroked his beard thoughtfully. His brow was partially furrowed as he stared at the teenager.

Rodolphus had never been uncomfortable under his father's gaze before, and this time was no different. Even so, he was nervous; everything suddenly seemed to hinge on this moment.

"She's quite a bit younger than you, Dolph."

Rodolphus frowned slightly at his father. "Only two years, Father. I know I will have to wait longer to marry her, but—"

Falorian held up his hand and sent a hard look toward his son. "I know how old she is, Rodolphus; and why, tell me, should I break tradition and allow you to marry Andromeda, assuming Cygnus even agrees to it himself?"

Rodolphus steeled himself, he would argue with his father about it if he had to; but perhaps a simple answer was best at first. "I like her."

His father did not look particularly amused with his reply, and he readied himself for a full-out description of her, right down to her toes, if necessary.

"I will speak to Cygnus, Rodolphus, but I cannot promise you anything. It is his decision, and I will not change my mind. You will marry one of his daughters, and if he decides you must marry the eldest, then that is what you will do. Is that clear?"

Rodolphus nodded, slightly shocked that his father had given in so easily. "Yes, Father."

"You are lucky, boy, that you decided to tell me today. I invited Cygnus over for this very purpose; everything is to be solidified tonight." Falorian's face was still stern.

Rodolphus swallowed, his nerves returning. His fate was to be decided after dinner. He had never dreamed it would happen so soon. He should not have been surprised, but he was. He hoped he could keep his mind off it for long enough to enjoy some time with Andromeda while she was here. His father must have noticed the strain in his eyes, because his face softened slightly.

"Cygnus is a reasonable man about most things, Rodolphus," Falorian said. "Unfortunately, you seem to enjoy a challenge. It will take more than the lovestruck charm you showed me today to convince Cygnus to give up his favorite daughter. Are you prepared to defend your ability to care for her?"

Rodolphus nodded slowly.

"Good. They will be here at seven."

As Rodolphus left the study, he could feel the weight of the evening on his shoulders already; and even so, he felt an odd cheer that was hard to crush. The Blacks were coming for dinner, and Andromeda would be among them. Rodolphus tried and failed to not be overly thrilled that he would see her outside of school.

* * *

It was eight-thirty; dinner was over and Rodolphus and Rabastan were entertaining the three girls while Falorian and Cygnus adjourned to the office for their 'business'. Rodolphus hoped his laugh did not sound forced. He was nervous about what was going on on the other side of the sturdy oak door. All through dinner he had managed to keep his composure; occasionally shooting small grins to Andy from across the table. He had, for the most part, actually spoken to Narcissa the most throughout dinner. She was a curious one, and never quite seemed to know when to stop talking. She had been admonished by her sisters several times before the meal had ended, causing Rodolphus to laugh wholeheartedly at her innocence. Now that the safety of the meal hand ended, all he could do was wait.

"Rodolphus."

He nearly jumped at the sound of his name on her tongue. He looked up, Andy was staring at him with concern from the other side of the game board.

"Are you alright?"

Before he could even nod, he once again heard his name being called, but this time it was from the newly opened doorway into Falorian's study; where he knew he was going to make a better impression than he ever had before. He stiffened and stood without replying to her, and silently walked to what he was sure was going to be his doom.

Falorian flicked the door closed with his wand as Rodolphus stepped inside to face Cygnus Black.

"Your father has told me an interesting tale, Rodolphus."

The teenager swallowed, standing straighter. He knew that anything that was said or asked could be just as much of a test as anything. A test he refused to fail. He thought it best to not reply and allowed the older wizard to continue speaking.

"I came here tonight thinking I was to plan the wedding of my eldest daughter, but it seems you have interests elsewhere." Cygnus' dark eyes surveyed the teen as he stood over him. "Is it true you have feelings for Andromeda?"

Rodolphus swallowed; he may be a Slytherin, but he knew that sometimes the truth was best. "No. I like her, sir, but I do not love her." The older man's frown deepened. Taking another deep breath, Rodolphus continued, "I would request the opportunity to try, though."

"Marriage isn't something you _try_ , boy."

Rodolphus' heart plunged, surely he had made a mistake. He was going to marry Bellatrix and never know Andy beyond the awkward relationship of in-laws. He was not going to argue, however; he was better than that. Even if he had made a mistake, he was not going to do it again.

Cygnus spoke once more, "How best will you take care of my daughter, Lestrange?"

Rodolphus eyed the man, whose eyes were glinting with a strange light. He mulled over several answers before replying confidently, "I don't think Andromeda needs caring for, sir. She is quite capable of doing that herself. I can provide her with a home and a husband and I will tend to her needs, should she require I do so. I would not entertain the idea that she is helpless." He held his breath, waiting for the elder man's response.

To the boy's surprise, Cygnus smiled slightly, "Honest, humble, _and_ smart. Are you certain this is _your_ son, Falorian?"

"He gets it from his mother," Rodolphus' father said from his chair, his amusement clear in his voice.

Rodolphus must have looked relieved, because Cygnus turned back to him and laughed.

"You haven't convinced me yet, boy."

Rodolphus immediately tensed once more. He should have known better; it was too easy.

"I hear you have been tutoring Dromeda in potions, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir." Rodolphus answered, unsure where the man was going with the question.

"Her marks have improved quite a bit since you began."

Rodolphus was again uncertain as to what the response Cygnus was looking for was; hesitantly, he began, growing more confident as the smile on the Black patriarch's face grew. "She's quite good at potions now, sir. I think all she needed was some one-on-one time to help her understand some of the more difficult concepts."

"And to keep her from doing anything rash?"

"Yes, sir," Rodolphus nearly bit his tongue, he had not meant for that last part to slip out, but the only response was a laugh from the two older men.

Cygnus held out his hand, which Rodolphus shook, trying to hide his nervousness. "If you can continue to treat her well, and are able to keep a head on her shoulders, I think you and Andromeda will do well."

The teenager tried not to sport the great grin that he felt coming onto his face.

"Cygnus and I have some final business to discuss, Rodolphus; you may leave now." Falorian said, a small smirk at his eldest son on his face.

"Thank you sir," the dark haired teenager bowed politely and proceeded to exit the study, closing the door behind him. Nothing could dampen his spirits now; Cygnus Black had agreed. He was going to marry Andromeda! He sat down amidst the three Black girls and his brother, watching as they resumed their game, trying not to stare at the girl who would, in time, become his bride.

* * *

 **A/N:** Ending a bit on a happier note this time. I apologize; updates are going to be more sporadic until April or so. School is now in full swing and I have run out of pre-written chapters. I will not forget about this, however. The best(and angstiest) is yet to come!


	4. Ted Tonks

**Chapter 4 - Ted Tonks**

* * *

"Don't I have any say in this‽" Andromeda exclaimed at her father.

Cygnus Black frowned heavily at her. "I thought you liked him, Dromeda."

The young witch hung her head; her father was right. She did like Rodolphus; she was not upset about who her father had chosen, but rather than he had chosen for her at all. She knew the traditions; and had expected Bellatrix to be married off first.

"I do, Father—but I'm not old enough," she replied lamely. She knew he knew better than to believe her excuse.

"You aren't going to marry him _now_ ," Cygnus laughed at her pathetic attempt at defiance before his tone became serious once more. "You will marry him once you are out of school; is that clear?"

"Yes, Father," she said quietly. She didn't mind, really. There had been more than mere rumors of a union between the Black and Lestrange families floating around the mansion. Andromeda had merely assumed that charge would go to her sister, she had never expected to be a part of it instead. The more she thought about it, however, the more she disliked the idea of Rodolphus marrying Bellatrix. Her sister was cruel; Rodolphus did not seem to be. At least as far as she knew him. She did not know him very well, she considered, but she had seen how protective he was of his brother.

The teenager was just leaving her father's study when Bellatrix came storming past her. She skirted out of the way as her furious elder sister rounded on their father.

"Why is she getting married first‽"

Andromeda winced at her sister's screams at Cygnus. It would not be long before her father raised his voice as well.

"I AM THE ELDEST!"

Bellatrix's shrieks carried down the halls, making Andromeda seek refuge at the other end of the manor. It didn't really seem to do any good. She quickly made her way out to the grounds, grabbing Narcissa on the way out. The girl looked to be equally frightened by their sister. It was too cold to merely wander the grounds, so Andromeda took off at a brisk walk toward the town, practically dragging her sister behind her.

"Annie, stop it," she squealed, "I can walk you know. Anyway, Father doesn't let me go to the village alone."

"I'm sorry, Cissy," Andromeda dropped her sister's hand and sighed, "I just had to get out; and you aren't alone. I'm with you."

The withering glance Narcissa gave her made her only feel slightly guilty for disobeying their father. Andy was not supposed to go any more than Cissy was, but she refused to stay among the grounds.

"You can just tell Father that it was my idea," Andy said firmly and started off down the road.

Narcissa hesitated, and then quickly caught up her.

Andy tried to voice her thoughts aloud to her younger sister, but she kept trailing off and derailing the conversation with all of the things bouncing around in her head.

"Father wants you to get married," the girl said simply, her eyes shining excitedly at the thought.

Andromeda nodded. The mood lightened considerably as her little sister began filling the time with increasingly silly questions about the wizard in question.

The teenager could not help but laugh at her sister's exuberance; at least someone was excited about it.

"Do you love him?" Narcissa asked quietly after a tirade of inquiries involving his favorite colors and how many fizzing whizbees he could fit in his mouth at once.

Andromeda pondered the question for a moment. She didn't love him, but she thought that maybe she could. "I don't know yet. I don't know him well, Cissy. I haven't known him that long. He's my potions tutor…"

"Well, first you have to make sure he's good at kissing."

"Cissa!" Andromeda exclaimed, trying to stifle her laughter, "Where did you hear that‽"

"Bella told me it's important. I think it's yucky."

The older girl nodded, laughing quietly. She was only in slight agreement with Narcissa. In truth, she hadn't really thought about Rodolphus that way until her father told her that she was going to marry him. Cygnus Black loved her, and she knew her father spoiled her, but she also knew he would not move on an issue once he had decided upon it.

Andromeda blinked back the tears; she had been raised to expect this. Her family was more important than any romanticized notions about falling in love. Who knew, maybe she might fall in love with him, like in the stories. She quite liked him so far. With that thought in her head, she began to smile; suddenly looking forward to the end of the holidays.

The two witches reached the small village a short time later. Narcissa only wanted to go to the candy store, so that is where they went. They snuck down the alleyway between the muggle bookstore and through a door in the brick wall. The door opened into a small circle of shops, one of which was a wizarding candy store. The two perused the aisles of the small shop, eventually leaving with more sweets than their father would have been happy with.

"We have to finish these before we get home," Andromeda giggled to her little sister.

Narcissa nodded, her blonde curls bobbing in the cool breeze.

The two girls were sitting on a bench near the park, greedily snacking on their treats when Andromeda caught sight of a boy eyeing them from across the park. She frowned at him; he was definitely staring. He seemed vaguely familiar, but she could not place where she had seen him. He looked roughly her own age.

She tried to usher her sister to get up and leave, but the girl protested.

"Annie, stop, you'll get chocolate all over my gloves," the ten year old whined.

Too late. The boy was already heading toward them.

He stumbled over the curb as he neared the girls, falling nearly flat on his face.

Andromeda raised her eyebrows and walked over to help him, her demeanor as collected as she could make it.

The boy scrambled to his feet, only looking slightly abashed. "I'm Ted Tonks!" he smiled.

"Are you alright?" Narcissa asked from the bench.

"Oh, don't worry about me, I fall all the time. I'm a mite clumsy." The boy responded with a grin. He turned to Andromeda. "I know you! You go to Hogwarts too!"

Andromeda was slightly taken aback. She may have seen his face before, but not enough to pick him out of a crowd, or a town for that matter.

"Andromeda Black," she replied cordially, a smile slowly creeping onto her face.

"I've seen you around," he said quietly, "You're in Slytherin, right?"

She nodded, once again surprised by his knowledge of her.

"I'm in Hufflepuff."

Dromeda nodded once more, at a loss for words at the friendly Hufflepuff. He was very cheerful, and seemed to have very little idea of how wizarding society functioned outside of school, if how he had introduced himself was any indication.

Narcissa smiled at the boy and handed him a fizzing whisbee.

He gratefully accepted and took a seat beside them.

"I've never had these before," he marveled slightly at the candy.

Andromeda froze; he had to be a muggleborn. Her mother would kill her if she found out she had made friends with a muggleborn. Druella black hated muggles, and everything that came with them. Cygnus thought them an odd sort of creature, certainly not on the level with wizards, but he was not overtly hostile; he often indulged his daughters' curiosities about the nearby town. If Druella found out, she might put wards up to keep the girls inside the grounds.

Andromeda found that she liked Ted. He was very open and spoke his mind about whatever the topic was. There didn't seem to be anything off limits to him. It was refreshing. He was certainly amusing, if very clumsy. Surely not _all_ muggleborns were so clumsy. Andromeda had seen several graceful muggles. Ted Tonks just seemed to be special that way.

Once she was certain the storm back at the manor had died down, Andromeda said goodbye to her fellow student and grabbed Narcissa's hand, once again practically dragging her sister along with her.

"Annie! Slow down!"

Andromeda heeded her sister and slowed enough for her to keep up on her shorter legs.

After they were a ways away, the witch turned to her sister. "Cissa, we can't tell anyone about the boy, okay?" she said seriously.

Narcissa nodded, but she had a frown on her small face. "Why?"

"He's a muggleborn…" Andromeda trailed off.

Her sister's eyes widened. "Mother will be very angry!"

"She's not going to find out, is she?"

Narcissa shook her blonde curls in agreement and disbelief.

"And we can't tell Bella either."

"She would tell Mother?"

"Yes."

The girl swallowed and nodded; and so Ted Tonks, the muggleborn Hufflepuff, was the first true secret between the Black sisters.

* * *

The Christmas holiday was over and the Hogwarts Express was well on its way to its destination when Rodolphus saw Andromeda again. He had been looking forward to it for weeks. It never even crossed his mind that she might be upset about their arrangement. He found her in a compartment near the end of the train, surprisingly alone.

"Andy?"

"You're the only one who calls me that, you know," she said quietly. She smiled at him, though she did not look as pleased to see him as he had hoped.

He frowned. "Do you not like it?" he asked immediately, worried that he had upset her; he wanted her to like him.

To his great relief, she shook her head. "I do."

She did not seem to want to talk any more, and stared out the window instead.

Rodolphus made to leave her be; she seemed to want to be alone.

"Thank you," she said, turning to face him briefly, wisps of black hair falling to frame her face as she gave him a small smile.

"For what?" He took a step toward her so he could shut the compartment door behind him.

"For caring." Her brown eyes shone up at him.

He was immediately concerned and took a seat next to her. Without thinking, he gently took her hand. "Andy...Where are your friends?"

She laughed quietly, but it was a cheerful sound. "I sent them away. I just wanted to be alone. I still have friends, Rodolphus. It's my sister…"

"Bellatrix?" he frowned.

"She's angry about our betrothal."

Rodolphus nodded, understanding her words, but confused about her sister's reasoning. He was impressed with Andromeda's ability to roll with the match that had been arranged for her.

"She never struck me as one to care about marriage," he said.

Andy snorted softly, "She doesn't. She just wants to be _first_ , and she's too stubborn to maybe _find_ someone that would marry her before I get out of school."

"Father wanted me to marry her," he said quietly, watching the witch carefully to gauge her reaction.

She shook her head, confused. "He changed his mind?"

Rodolphus shook his head in reply, "Not exactly. I had to convince him, and your father. I told him I was going to marry you."

She looked up at him, surprise clear in her eyes. "Why?" she whispered.

"I like you," he said plainly, "You're very different from your sister. I want you to know that I _chose_ you. I'm going to try to live up to that."

Andromeda stared at the older teen. He _wanted_ to marry her. She found herself really looking forward to the rest of the year and getting to know Rodolphus. He _was_ her future husband, after all.

"Do you think Antonin would be up for the job?" He said, a grin on his face.

"For what?"

"Marrying your sister," he said casually, leaning back on the seat, throwing his arm around behind her. It hovered above her shoulder, the heat from his hand warming her even from afar.

* * *

Andromeda laughed out loud. The idea of Dolohov and her sister together was more than a little ridiculous. "He'd kill her! He'd be so miserable, Dolph."

"Maybe it would be a good idea, then," he said, his eyes flashing dangerously.

Andy stared at him; his face was not serious, but there was something in his stare that unnerved her, if only for a split second. "She's my sister…" she said quietly.

He took a breath and nodded. "Ah, maybe it would work out. Instead of killing each other, they could just kill other people _together_ ," his eyes filled with a strange mirth once more.

Andromeda had a hard time telling if he was joking or not, but the light in his eyes convinced her that he was. Suddenly, she was struck with the thought that, as kind as she saw him behave, Rodolphus was not unlike the majority of the wizards in her house. He _did_ spend the majority of his time with Antonin Dolohov; and it was not unheard of for the pair to be seen with his younger brother and Lucius Malfoy, both of whom were in her year. There were many others, her sister among them. Andromeda was not blind; she knew what Slytherins were known for. She just hoped Rodolphus was different.

The young witch had made many observations about her elder housemates over the years she had been at Hogwarts. They were always rumors of pranks, and darker incidents that happened around school, but there was never any proof. Dolohov would not get caught no matter what he was involved in; he was a powerful wizard and she knew he had a nasty couple of charms up his sleeve. She glanced at Rodolphus, who looked incredibly relaxed next to her. He talked more than Dolohov, but he knew how to be silent. He was smart, and he was dangerous. She suddenly set her jaw; he was going to be her husband, she refused to believe in tales that she had no proof of. _Anyone_ with a wand was potentially dangerous.

Something seemed to strike the wizard above her, he stood slowly. "I've interrupted your brooding," he said after a time, a twinkle in his eye. He took her hand, sending her heart into a quick frenzy.

"Forgive my rudeness." His lips brushed the top of her hand in a gentle kiss before he released her and left her alone in her compartment.

Andromeda stared after him, the skin on her hand tingling where he had touched her. Butterflies roiled in her stomach and she smiled. Maybe he was different.

* * *

 **A/N:** Is she right? Is Rodolphus different than his friends? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.


	5. Nerves

**Chapter 5 - Nerves**

* * *

The last half of Rodolphus' fifth year at Hogwarts was filled with an irritating amount of studying. He needed virtually no practice with the practical side of the O.W.L.s, and was therefore stuck with the theory. He saw Andromeda almost daily, but never got to spend any real time with her outside of his tutoring sessions with her.

Rodolphus was neck deep in studying one afternoon near the end of May. He was sitting in the Slytherin dungeon, surrounded by theoretical texts. Antonin was lazily lounging nearby; being a year older, he had nothing outside of his normal exams to study for. The older wizard looked as bored as Rodolphus felt. He waved his wand idly at various objects, casting spells without ever uttering a word.

A rat skittered by, immediately catching Antonin's attention. He waved his wand at it, stopping the creature in it's tracks. He levitated the now trembling rodent and directed it in front of Rodolphus, the small thing squeaking in fear.

Rodolphus rolled his eyes. Eventually the other wizard's pestering drove the teenager into action. He whipped out his wand and cast his own levitation spell on the animal. The Russian wizard chortled and shot a growth charm at the thing.

"You've been at those books for hours, Dolph. I know you aren't nearly as fond of books as I am. How about some practical magic?"

Rodolphus was more than willing to get up and fling some spells around with his best friend. It was high time for a break. He drew his attention back to the rapidly growing rat, which was now the size of a dog, and grossly disproportioned. He flung a lazy counter-jinx at the thing to keep it from getting any larger.

"Hell, _koresh_ , you've known these spells since first year," Antonin laughed lazily.

Annoyed and tired of studying, Rodolphus raised an eyebrow at the huge rat.

" _Artus Nasci,_ " Rodolphus shot a jet of green light from his wand at the grotesque rodent. The thing immediately began growing extra legs, sprouting from unnatural places along its skeleton. He lowered the thing to the ground and curled his lip slightly as it slogged along the ground, unable to control it's new limbs effectively.

Antonin let out a snort of disgust as the monstrous rat shuffled toward him along the floor. He sneered, " _Coasesco_."

The miserable creature began to drool, resembling a rat less and less as it attempted to scuttle back to its hole that it was now much too large for. Noxious slime dripped between its teeth, burning and bubbling anything it touched with a loud sizzle.

"Useful," Rodolphus mused as he watched the effects of Antonin's spell. "Where'd you learn that one? I don't recognize it."

"My father has more than a few spell books locked in his library," Antonin said with a smirk.

Rodolphus nodded, returning the grin.

The teenager's revelry was interrupted by a loud exclamation from a small female.

" _Merlin!_ Dolph! What is _that‽"_ Andromeda's disgusted voice reached his ears.

He turned toward her. The little witch stood stiffly, cringing at the sight of the monstrous rodent; her face becoming more and more horrified as the seconds passed.

The wizard glanced at what used to be a rat. It now resembled a many-legged corpse, twitching and writhing as it fought against Antonin's corruption spell. Bones poked out of skin as the spell melted the creature into a quivering mass of flesh.

" _Secatus_ ," Rodolphus lazily waved his wand at the thing. It flopped noisily to the floor with one last distorted squeal, what little that remained of its neck now broken.

He watched as the witch moved up to the mess; careful to avoid stepping in the frothing acid now sinking into the floor. She glanced at the pile with pity and waved her wand, " _Evanesco._ " The froth disappeared, leaving the floor uneven where the acidic spell had begun to eat away at the stone rather than just the rat. "You have to come up with a better way to get rid of rats," she sniffed.

"Where's the fun in that, Black?" Antonin chuckled.

Andromeda did not look amused, but Rodolphus could not bring himself to disagree with his friend. It was certainly diverting to practice some of the more advanced spells that would never be taught at Hogwarts. Despite their youth, even those spells did not really challenge the teenage wizards. Rodolphus had been able to cast a successful Imperius curse at thirteen, and he knew Antonin had a similar story. Their fathers were both firm men of principle; pushing their eldest sons to overachieve as early as possible.

There had been very few resources that Rodolphus was not allowed to make use of growing up. Knowledge was power, as his father often said. The young wizard often felt like all his knowledge was useless at the moment; Hogwarts was not the place to exercise the knowledge he had already accrued about the darker magics.

Andromeda sighed quietly and took a seat next to Rodolphus on the couch. She leaned against him and pulled out a book to read. He smiled at her; she was reading up on potions for her third year exams. She was a hard worker, and craved the knowledge to be able to succeed. Half the time, he knew that the only two things truly keeping him here were his father, and her. He could put up with a few more years of boredom if it meant spending it with Andromeda.

* * *

Rodolphus could've done without that muggleborn following his witch everywhere. After the Holidays, third year Slytherins had potions with the Hufflepuffs; which meant that Ted Tonks was suddenly everywhere Rodolphus looked; sticking his nose into their business. It did not annoy Rodolphus that the boy had begun to encroach on his tutoring sessions with Andromeda only due to the fact that the boy was not alone in that. Apparently, Slughorn's teaching methods did not quite work for everyone. Slowly, his time with Andy grew smaller and smaller until he hardly saw her during the day. He knew she was studying hard, and was proud of her for it, but he could not help being irritable at the lack of her presence over spring term. What little time he did spend alone with her, they took to get to know each other.

It was two weeks into the term when the teenagers managed to find a routine that worked. Rodolphus was not particularly pleased with it, but it meant he got to see her every day, and he could not argue with that. They ate dinner together and then walked back to the common room. There were days when Andy would just got straight to bed after dinner, and other days when he had to recruit her sister to carry her upstairs after she had fallen asleep on his shoulder, trying to study. Such was the rest of the term. Rodolphus sniffed slightly at the way the Hufflepuff hung around her, but he was causing no real harm.

The Black's took a trip to France that summer, so Rodolphus did not see his future bride until the start of the next term. It was now his sixth year at the wizarding school. It was two days until the first Hogsmeade trip of the year and Rodolphus still had not asked Andromeda to go with him. He did not understand how he could be so at ease with the girl when they were just going about their normal activities, but freeze up when it came to asking her out on a real date.

 _By Salazar, Dolph, you're going to_ marry _her. Just ask her already._ He chastised himself one particular afternoon. Why were they never given time alone any more? She had been so busy with her studies, and Rodolphus had somehow been roped into more tutoring for the younger students, and even some his own age. He barely caught glimpses of her in the corridors.

It was after dinner when he finally found her, conversing quietly with the Hufflepuff boy he recognized from his tutoring sessions. Rodolphus did not bother to remember the boy's name; he had other things on his mind. Until he noticed the way the boy was looking at his witch, he did not miss the lingering glances and the doe-eyed stare. The teenager felt his jaw tighten, but Andy's disarming smile softened it again. He strode up to the pair, ignoring the lingering nerves that toiled in his stomach.

* * *

"Andromeda."

Andy had not heard her name said in _quite_ that fashion before. She stared at Rodolphus as he approached her. She had never heard him use her full name before; he had called her andy for as long as she had known him. She liked the way he said her name, almost as if a caress.

"Rodolphus," she returned, smiling up at him. She really did like him. Butterflies roiled in her stomach as her betrothed closed the distance between them.

He took her hand, his touch warming her instantly. "Would you give me the honor of allowing me to escort you to Hogsmeade this weekend?"

"I would be glad to," she replied, her smile growing ever wider. She watched with a grin as a small smile spread across Rodolphus' lips as well.

"I'll pick you up at five," he said, only the smallest hint of a question in his words.

She nodded, and felt the butterflies return as he brought her hand up to his lips to give her a chaste farewell.

"Good night, Miss Black."

"Good night, Mr. Lestrange," she smiled at him once more as he walked away.

"Lestrange, Dromeda? Really?"

Andromeda started, she had forgotten that Ted was there. She stared at his downcast face, wondering why he looked so disheartened. She arched an eyebrow at him.

"He's a Slytherin!" Was the first thing out of the boy's mouth.

Andromeda rolled her eyes. "So am I, Ted. So are a quarter of our classmates. That's not the reason you look so upset!"

"Don't you know who he spends his time with‽ He's one of those— those Death Eaters!" Ted continued to argue with her.

Andromeda was still fuming about his first quip about the Slytherins, "Like my sister‽ Like my parents, and his parents‽"

"Yes!" Teddy exclaimed, desperation in his voice. "They're cruel, Dromeda! You're nothing like any of them. You're so much better. You—"

He was trying to keep her excluded from his tirade; but what did he know about her? Nothing. He was trying to flatter her; he was… She paused. He had asked to talk to her alone just before Rodolphus came up to them. He was jealous. Drawing herself up to her full height, she shot back coldly, "You barely know me." Ignoring the growing feeling in the pit of her stomach that Ted was right about her family, and even, perhaps about Rodolphus.

Ted crossed his arms, "He's dangerous."

Andromeda suddenly carried an equally defensive posture, "I'm going to marry him."

The boy's frown deepened, "Don't joke about that, Dromeda."

"It's not a joke, Ted," she said. "We've already established that you don't know me. Let's fix that. And let's get one thing straight, I have been betrothed to Rodolphus for almost a year. I _will_ marry him. In fact, I quite like him." She watched Teddy open his mouth, only to close it once more when she continued, "I know that doesn't make sense to you. It's not your fault you're a muggleborn. You don't know our traditions—"

"Knowing traditions is one thing, but Andy, that's— barbaric! Making you choose so early! You don't even know him."

Andromeda laughed mirthlessly, "And _you_ do not know _me_ , Ted Tonks. Let me live my life."

Teddy gave a resigned shake of his head, "I'll be watching out for you."

"I do not need _watching_ ," Andromeda seethed back.

He quirked a small smile, "Be careful, Black."

"Goodnight, Tonks," she managed to spit out between grit teeth as she stormed away.


	6. Small Consequences

**Chapter 6 - Small Consequences**

* * *

Just as he had promised, Rodolphus was at the entrance hall at five o'clock sharp. He was dressed smartly, but when Andromeda came down the grand staircase in a beautiful green dress Rodolphus felt incredibly inadequate. He managed to send her a genuine smile; something he knew he reserved almost exclusively for her.

"Ready, Andy?" He asked quietly, his breath still caught in his throat.

"Ready." The dark-haired girl smiled up at him and readily took the arm he offered her before they walked out into the frosty air.

Rodolphus' thoughts were so focused on the young woman next to him that the walk to Hogsmeade in the cold was not nearly as arduous as he recalled from previous years. In fact, he wasn't certain when exactly they had crossed into the streets of the town itself. Andromeda's hair fell as neatly as it ever did down her back, held back gently by a ribbon that matched her winter dress. He had the urge to tangle his fingers in her curls, but shook his head and decided there would be a better time. She was beautiful, and despite the age gap, Rodolphus was certain the girl at his side would always be the most beautiful of her sisters. Not only was she beautiful, but she was caring and kind and strong; the boy had not had the pleasure of having such simple, necessary things in his life since his mother had died. His father was not cruel to his sons, but he was far from warm. Rodolphus did not realize the depth of Andromeda's light in his life, not until after it was too late.

As the pair walked, the sky darkened and the wind began to blow, threatening to storm. The pair of teens glanced at each other and with twin grins, darted toward the nearest shop. Just as they passed the threshold of Scrivenshifts, the rain came pouring down behind them. It was truly a magnificent rain. The water cascaded over the shop's rapidly overflowing gutters in a glittering waterfall.

"Well, Dolph," Andy smiled at him, "I guess we're stuck here."

"I don't know about you, Andy, but I'm quite fond of reading," Rodolphus responded with another smile, merely happy to be spending time with her that didn't involve them ankle-deep in studies.

The witch nodded in response, and the couple soon found themselves curled up on the single battered old couch in the ancient book store. Rodolphus did not fail to notice the sense of discomfort that had settled over them as they sat down, with just the prudent amount of space between them. He frowned slightly, wanting to fix the awkwardness between them all while his heart pounded in his chest. He was still as nervous as ever. He closed the novel he had been reading aloud and turned fully toward her. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with apprehension and confusion.

Rodolphus stared into her soft brown eyes, hearing nothing but the rapid thumping of his own heart and the soft breath the girl let out when her eyes met his.

"Rodolphus, are you alright?" Her soft voice did nothing to ease the churning in his stomach, but it did grant him the last reserve of courage he had been looking for.

The teenager nodded, swallowing thickly. He reached out for her, letting one hand rest on her neck, cupping her cheek slightly with his thumb. His heart pounded in his chest, his nerves only growing more frantic when she responded quicker than he expected. She leaned toward him, and somehow her hands found their way around his neck. He took a breath and tentatively pressed his lips to hers.

As their lips touched, Rodolphus felt a wave of calm come over him, even as his heart thudded against his chest with greater fervor. It was a wonderful kiss, though not as long as either participant had hoped for.

"And I thought the Blacks could stoop no lower!"

Rodolphus immediately pulled himself away from the dismayed witch at his side and glared at the group of students who had dared to interrupt their peace. He knew their faces, and also knew they were not going to get out of this without a fight. There were six of them, and there was only so much Rodolphus could do.

"Who did you have to kill to get so deep in with Lestrange, Black?"

Rodolphus could feel the young witch beside him tense. The teenager stood, blocking the girl on the couch from the intruders. "Contrary to popular belief, I don't _like_ people based on who they've killed, Reise," he growled, his wand in hand.

The boy ignored him and continued to pick on Andromeda.

"Watch out, little Black, or you'll be as dead as his mother."

Rodolphus moved to curse him, but his little witch was faster. She sent a hex that even Rodolphus didn't recognize at Reise that threw the shocked Gryffindor across the room and into the stacks opposite them. The rest of the students looked outraged, quickly brandishing their wands. Rodolphus knew if they fought, Andy would get hurt. Thinking quickly, he pressed to stall, either for time or an opportunity.

"It's funny," he said quietly, "how quickly some forget those who have beaten them in the past."

A few of the boys' eyes grew wide, "It _was_ you."

"Do you think I'm going to let you pick on Andromeda like you tried to with my brother?" Rodolphus snarled. They had no proof that he had been the one to hex them those two years prior, but he knew he had struck a nerve, they were afraid now. Already they were moving to back down.

"Going to kill one of us to get into your father's good graces, Lestrange?"

"I'm considering it," he shot back, his voice cold. "Fortunately for you, my father is rather fond of me. It seems to me that you are the ones who are looking for validation."

He felt Andy grab his free hand as he spoke. Her magic crackled beside him, sparking angrily through the air as it spread around them. As one boy raised his wand arm and shot out a spell, Rodolphus threw up a quick shield spell, blocking the simple spell and sending it ricocheting back toward the boy.

"What by Merlin is going on in here?" the ever stern voice of Professor McGonagall came before her. She brandished her wand, disarming all of them in one quick motion.

The flustered shopkeeper was frowning at the Gryffindors, having heard the whole thing. The boys were scolded thoroughly and immediately sent back to the castle.

McGonagall turned to the two Slytherins, still frowning, "Mr. Merrythought told me everything, and while I'm impressed at what restraint you both managed to have, I'm afraid neither of you is off the hook. No matter the reason, I cannot condone fighting, _especially_ not in this poor man's shop. You will clean up the mess you made _by hand_ , and then you shall return to the castle for the remainder of the day, do you understand?"

"Yes, Professor," they both mumbled quietly.

"I apologize, Mr. Merrythought, for any damage I did," Andromeda apologized immediately.

The man nodded and accepted her apology.

* * *

"I'm sorry it did not go like I planned today," Rodolphus confessed to Andromeda once they had returned to their own common room.

She still managed to smile at him, "Don't worry about it, Rodolphus. It's quieter here anyway. I hope that Mr. Merrythought will let us back into his shop again."

"We're probably safe. I'm not certain about those Gryffindor bastards, though. Did you see the way he escorted them out? Reise landed quite neatly in that puddle."

Andromeda laughed quietly.

"I'm sorry again, Andy."

"Why, Dolph?"

"I don't think it's going to stop. My father has a reputation, and I have tied you to that through me. I can hope it will get better after school, but I can promise you nothing. I never dreamed they would go so far as to attack you."

Andy's soft brown eyes twinkled up at him, "Rodolphus, it's not your fault. My family is just as reputable in society as yours, and just as shunned outside of it. I'm sure, eventually, they will realize that you are not your father."

Rodolphus stared at her. His whole life he knew he _had_ to be what his father expected him to. He must behave in the proper manner suited for a Lestrange, and now his beautiful mysterious witch was telling him that maybe he didn't have to be that man. The teen was not certain how to handle her words. He merely nodded, contemplating her words silently. He wasn't certain he believed her, but he knew he wanted to. She thought he was not his father, but Rodolphus knew himself, and he knew his father, he wasn't certain he could change if he wanted to. Looking back at the girl at his side, he thought he might want to try.

* * *

Andromeda looked at the older boy who was frowning at his textbook. She smiled at him, Rodolphus was much more about practical application than he was theory and it frustrated him to actually have to sit down and study. It was nearly Christmas and they would soon be heading home to visit their respective families. The young witch had no doubt she would see Rodolphus at least once a week for family dinners, now that they were more properly intended. He had not officially proposed to her yet, but she didn't truly mind. Wearing an engagement band at fourteen was not something she particularly thought of as necessary or wanted. As long as they knew, she didn't feel the need to announce it to the whole.

It did backfire slightly in the form of Ted Tonks, he pestered Andromeda mercilessly, refusing to believe she was truly going to marry her housemate. She admired his tenacity, but was getting tired of shutting him down gently. She was absolutely not going to set Rodolphus on him, being very aware of the damage he was capable of; she had seen him duel. She thought about going to Slughorn to discuss it, but that would no doubt get back around to Dolph. Pushing the clumsy, yet annoyingly charming Hufflepuff out of her mind, Andromeda watched her intended study.

Rodolphus' brow was furled in concentration as he read, his lips moving slightly with the words he was reading. Her heart thumped rapidly, shooting sparks down her limbs when he glanced up at her. He only gave her a brief smile before turning back to his homework, but it was enough to make her more aware of how she felt than ever before.

It was one thing to know she was going to marry him, it was another to feel warmth blooming in her chest when he looked at her, or the spark when he touched her. Andromeda knew she was falling in love with the older boy. She wondered if he felt the same. Sometimes when he looked at her, it was as though she was the only girl in the world. She quite liked the way his gaze lingered on her when he thought she wasn't looking. She giggled when they stole away between classes just for a quick kiss and looked forward to their study sessions in the common room every night. Often, they were joined by their classmates and Andromeda got to know Rabastan and his friends a little better.

One particular night Lucius Malfoy was grumbling to Rabastan about his father's growing up speeches. Andromeda pitied her classmate, he worked so hard, and all he seemed to find at home was strife. He did not seem to be looking forward to the holidays like the rest of their friends.

"Lucius," she caught up to him as he stalked away from the group, looking exhausted.

"What is it, Black?" He snapped.

"Would you like to come to my house for Christmas? I am sure my Father won't mind. I can ask him to write to Lord Malfoy if you would like it," she suggested carefully, if there was one thing she knew she couldn't do with a Malfoy, it was to wound his pride.

To her relief, Lucius' pale face brightened slightly, "I would be honored. I am afraid I cannot accept without an official invitation, Father would be most displeased."

Andromeda nodded, "I shall owl Father straightaway."

The girl skipped off happily, glad she had been able to help her classmate. Little did she know that her action would start talks between her Father and Lord Malfoy that would ultimately lead to Narcissa's marriage into the Malfoy family.

* * *

Looking back on his sixth year in Hogwarts as an adult, many years later, Rodolphus would recall the time as one of the happiest in his life, once the bitter twinge of years of strife had finally faded. It took him longer than he ever would have thought to see the bright light that was his time with Andromeda over the blackness that overtook his life not six months later.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you guys for being so patient while I worked on my other stories. Your reviews are really encouraging.

Cheers~


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